Truck lift



Jan, 3, 1933.

Cv E. C

ONSTABLE TRUCK LIFT Filed oct- '7, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 3, 1933.

c. E. coNsTABLE TRUCK LIFT Filed oct. 7. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 3, 1933.

Cl. E. CONSTABLE TRUCK LIFT Filed Oct. 7. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet .'5

orculo/Na I AMENDING APatented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED sra-rss CHARLES E. GONSTABLE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO rivrsijwrA ortica THE NATIONAL lMIARHINGr MACHINE COMPANY, OF C'INCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO muck LIFT Applcationjiled October 7, 1929. Seria1`No. 398,964.

The object of my invention is to provide,-

a truck lift of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, especially adapted to elevate trucks such as used for handling laun dry fronione floor to another, and to provide means whereby trucks placed on the lift will be automatically delivered to the re-y ceiving track provided for that purpose, and

`will be automatically operated to asecond been delivered,

position after the truck has after which the trucks are automatically returned to the lift and lowered tothe rst oor. y More specically'it is the object of 'my invention toY provide a lift shaft having a movable cage adapted to move upwardly and downwardly in said shaft'by means of the ordinary electrically controlled operating, `mechanism;l and to providein j connection "with the elevating and lowering mechanism improved means whereby the elevating and:

lowering movements of the lift will be auto# matically controlled by the movement of the liftgand'by the movement of the'trucks as they are moved into and out of positionthereon.

A further object is to provide a lift shaft having a cage adapted to be moved'upwardly and downwardly therein by meansof suitable I electrically operated and controlled mechanism, and a gate for the lower shaft opening having means for automaticallysetting into operation the lift mechanism upon the closing of said gate.

platform for said vcage whereby ytrucks carried by saidcage may be automatically dei livered from or receivedin said cage.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects conwhich: Y f

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view'of the upper end ofa lift shaft having a movable cage mounted therein showingthe cage at its upper limit "of movement; and

y through anopening operatingthe same. i

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the 'g lower end of the shaft showing the cage at" its lower limit of movement andthe manner m which the truck is supported thereon; "if

Figure 'is an enlarged detail"sectional view taken on the line 3-'-3 of Figure 1L i Figure 4 is a diagrammatical plan'view'of the cage and the truck .supporting tracks,y showing the arrangement of the tracks whereby a trucki may be' movedoutwardlyA through an opening near the upperend of the shaft, and another truck'moved inwardly below the iirst said open# lng. i Y Y" 4 Figure 5 is a dia'graromatical"view show-'- mg the wiring of thatportion of the coniment.

Figure 6 1s a detail v switch devices used in my improved lift.

iew of ,one of the Figure 7 isa detail" View 'ofjone of4 thel switch operating devices used in connection with the switch illustrated in Figure 6, the switchbeing illustrated by'dott'ed lines.` y

AFigurei isaplan'view of the switch and the mechanism actuated bythe gate for actu- 'u ating the switch as illustrated in Figure 6. Figure 9 shows another forni of switch device used in my improved mechanism 4for i Figure 10 is a front elevation of one of the f snap switches. f

.j rieure n is a daan secan .1 't vk A further object is to provide in a lift shaft b O a VIEW fa en having a cage adapted to move upwardly and downwardly vtherein an improved tilting onthe line 11-11of Figure 3. i

Figure 12 is a detailview illustrating the innerend of the tri-p bar and the manner in which it is engaged by an actuating lug on the cage. y The numeral 10 indicates the lift shaft which comprises 'upright frame members 11 and horizontal frame members 12. The usual brace members 13 are provided.. The side- 'members of the shaft are provided with verti-Yv y cal 'guides 14 in the form of T-iron's, the

ianges of said irons 1being'riveted to the meml Y bers 12 and 13 of the sides. The front ofthe shaft is provided with an upper opening 15, Y

a lower opening 16. and an. lintermediate opening 17, said openings heingfor the pur- V'a platform 21 pivotally mounted by means g cuit causes pose of permitting trucks 18 to be moved into and out of the shaft. l

The shaft 10 is provided with a cage 19 having a suitable frame provided with angle irons 2O designed to co-operate with the upright guides 14, so that the cage is free to move upwardly in the shaft. The cage is elevated and lowered by electrically controlled mechanism not illustrated and which forms no part of my present invention.

The said electrically controlled elevating and lowering mechanism is provided with what I shall term descending and ascending circuits. The closing of the ascending circuit causes the cage to be elevated and the opening of said circuit causes the cage to stop and to be reta-ined in the position it assumes at the time the circuit is opened. The-closing of the descending cirthe locking mechanism of the cage to be released and the cage lowered. The opening of the descending circuit causes the cage to be stopped and retained in the position it assumes when the circuit is opened.

The bottom of the cage 19 is provided with of a shaft 22 supported horizontally in said cage, so that the front and rear edges of the cage may be elevated and lowered for the purpose hereinaftermade clear. The side edges of the platform 21 are provided with v bracket members 23, each of which projects downwardly from the bottom of the cage and is provided with laterally extending jshafts 24. Each of the shafts 24 has a roller 25 designed to operate in suitable guides 26 secured to the sides of the shaft. Each of the guides 26 is provided with a ,curved portion 27 near its upper end, so arranged that ljas the-cage 19 is elevated and lowered past the 4curved portion, the roller 25 wlill be moved rearwardly, causing the platform 21 to be oscillated on the pivot 22 and its front edge to be lowered, while its rear edge is ele- `vated. The platform normally assumes an inclined position as illustrated in Figure 2 with its rear edge lower than the front edge.

Adjacent to the bottom of the opening 15 I have provided what I shall term an out- ;going truck track 28, and adjacent to the bottom of the opening 17 I have provided what I shall term an incoming truck track i 29, and at the bottom ofthe opening 16 an incoming and outgoing'track 30. The bottom of the cage is provide-d with a cage track 31 adapted to aline with any of the other tracks when the cage is in certain positions` of Iits movement, so that the trucks may be moved onto and from the cage when the cage is at its lower limit of movement, and may be moved from the track 31 to the track 28 when the cageis at its upper limit of movement, and from the track 29 to the track 31 when the cage is at what I shall'term an intermediate positionof its movement.

The tracks 28 and 29 are supported by the floor above the main floor.

The track 29 is,

inclined downwardly and beneath the track 18. The said lugBLlretains the truck against inward movement on the inclined track. The outerend of the lever v33 is provided with a weight 36, whereby the inner end of the lever j willbe normally retained in an elevated position.l A lug 37 limits the downward movement of the member 36, and in turn the upward movement of the forward end of the` lever 33. v Y

The forward end of the lever 33 is provided with a pivoted dog-r38 having a lug 39. The parts are so arranged that the free end of the dog 38 maybe swung upwardlyand locked against downward movement by the lug 39. rIfhe free end ofthe lug 38 is designed to rest in the .pathof a lug l0 carried bythe cage 19, whereby,downward movement, of the; cage will cause the lug Ll0 to engagev the lug 38 and cause the Aforward end ofthe lever' 33 to be lowered andthe lug 34 to disengage the flange 35', permitting the truck 18, `as shown by dottedlines, to be released and to be moved inwardly on the platform 21.

As soon as the lug 40 has Apassed the lug 38, the free end ofthe lever 33 is then permitted tobe elevated with the lug 34: in the path of the flange 35 of the next incoming truck. It should vbe understood that a number of trucks are supprted on'vthe track 29, all of which are free to move inwardlyby gravity upon Athe inward movement of .the truck adjacent to the shaft.

Itwill'be seen that the lug 40 may be moved upwardly past the lug 38 without actuating vthe lever 33, andgthat the trucks will not be releasedvonly as the cage is moved downwardly. .i j

It will readilyvbe seen from the foregoing description that trucks on the platform 31 may be automatically deliveredtoV the track 28 ,as the cagey reachesits upper limit of movement,due to the action of the roller 25 in the curved ,portion 27 of theguides 26. Thus mechanically operated means is provided whereby trucks may be automatically delivered an received when the cage is m the upper end of the shaft.' The trucks are manually placed in the cage when at its lowerlimit of movement.

As beforev stated, the elevating and lowering mechanism maybe any one of anu'm- 'i59 is moved downwardly to a closed Vposiber of hoisting mechanisms now in commercialuse, and is provided with suitable elec-` trically controlled mechanism for operating the same, which includes the descending and ascending circuits.

I n the diagram illustrated in Figure yI have provided -a current generator 41 ,hav-e ing conductors 42 and 43which include thel mechanism for controlling the `upward movef ment of the cage. Said conductor 43 valso includes a snapk switch 44; 'Ihe descending circuit includes aconductor 45 which termi# nates in branch conductors 46 and 47 and 1n snap switch devices 48 and 49. Both of these` inwardlyto open-the circuits and the other e one to close it.- p y l Inasmuch as all three of the switch de- `vices.44, 48 and 49are the same, the description of one will apply to all. The nu- 'meral 52-will be used to indicate the button for closing the circuits and the numeral 53 to indicate the button Vfor cuit. e v

Seoured'to the bot-tom of the cage 19 by 'i meansof a suitable bracket 54, I have mountedthe switch 44 with the buttons- 52 and 53 in a common horizontalqplane, said buttons projecting forwardly.

Secured to the forward side of thecageV 319 I have provided a bracket 55 to which a belll crank lever 56 is pivotally connected.

The downwardly extending arm of the Abell,y

crank is supported in frontof the button 52. The bell crank is provided with a forwardly iextending arm 57 designed folies-engaged by a. lug 58 secured to the gate 59 slidablyV mounted to close the opening 16 by being moved downwardly. p y

The lug 58 is so mounted that as the gate tion, it will engage the lug 57 causing the lower arm of thebell crank 56 tobe'moved rearwardly and the but-ton 52 moved to closed position.l This will Vcause the ascending circuit to be closed and theo/age toY be moved upwardlyuntil the platform 21 is 'in alinement with the track 28. The button 53 of the switch 44 is then designed to engage a cam 60 secured to the cross member 12 of the shaft, f Vwhich will cause the said button 53 to be moved inwardly and the ascending circu't to be opened. The truck supported on the platform 21 will then be moved toward'the track Y 28 by gravity. As thevtruck 18 is moved -'mitwardlv in osition on the track 28, the

opening the cirn lug135 will engagethe trip lever61 mounted between the rails ofthe track in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 9.

Thetrip lever61 is pivotally mounted and hasa downwardly extending arm 62 to which alink 63 is connected.- The said link 63is in turn pivotallyconnectedto a shoe 64 pivotal# ly connected to the inner end of one ofthe track members 2 8. f v;` l c,

The shoe 64 is designed to be moved Vinto the pathoffthe button 52`of the switch48,

which is alsoV secured tothe bottom of the cage by means of al suitable bracket 65, so

thatl the descending circuitis closed, which willfcause the cage to be moved downwardly until the platform 2l is in alinement with the track 29, at which time the button 5 3 ofthe switch 48 will engagea camh66 carried by the shaft 10, causing thecage kto stop in` the lastisaid position. o,

The arm62 is .provided with a spring 67 for moving the shoe 64 inwardly out of the path of the button 52 ofthe switch 48 as the said switch is moved upwardly.

Secured to the platform 21 is the switch by. means of a suitable bracket68. The

switch is mounted with the buttons 52 and-f l 53 projecting upwardly.4 bracket 69 is also provided in which is pivotally mounted a bell crank lever 70'. VOne arm of the lever 76 is designed to restupon the upper end of thepush button 52, while the other arm of the leverprojects upwardly and is designed to be engaged by the flange 35 of the truck 18 as said trucks are moved to position; on the platform 21and whenso engaged rwill cause the button 52tobe moved to a closed posi- Y tion, whichv will then start the cage down? wardly. l y i A rock shaft 71 is also pivotally mounted on Athe The inner `end of the rockshaft 71 is providedwith asrock arm 73having its free end designed to rest normally above thebutton 53. The outer` end of the shaft 71 is provided 'with rock arm 7 4, .the free end of which is designed to engage a-lug 75 near the downwardlyto its lower limit of movement,

` ywhereby the shaft 7l will be rocked and the button 53 moved to position to open l the switch and with the arm 57 of the bell crank 56 in osition above the flange 58 of the gate-59.

he gate 59 may then be moved to an open position and locked in said position by` suitable locking mechanism not illustrated.

',The'truck may then be removed'from the platform 21 and another truck placed in position thereon, after which the gate 59 may be-lowered, causing the ascending circuit to be closed Ain the manner above described.

`Thus it will he seen that `I have provided 49, therebyy causing the ldownwardV movementfof the cage to be stopped with the platform 21in lalignement withthe track 30 1205` platform 21 by a suitable bearing 72.

y bottom of the shaft 10 as the cage is moved f y a lift having 'movable cage provided with a tiltable platform and provided in connecttion therewith means whereby the upV andY tion to another, whereby trucks on said plat-- form may be automatically received and delivered. The platform is provided with a simple and durable means for Vperforming its tilting operation. i v

The curved portionof the guide for tilting the platform may be such that the platform may be swung easily from one position `to another, thereby eliminating sudden jars and strains.

It will further be seen that I have provided electrical means whereby the elevating and lowering of the cage may be automatically controlled by the movement of the cage, and by the movement of the trucks into and out of said cage,vand provided in connection therewith safety means whereby the automatic elevating and lowering mechanism cannot be set into operation -until the gate 59 has been closed.

Thus it will be seen that'I have provided a lift'in which a minimum amount of labor is required to elevate and lower trucks from the lower floor to the upper floors of a building.

I claim as my invention;

1. In combination, a shaft, a cage' mounted to move upwardly anddownwardly in said shaft, al truck track in said cage, exterior upper and lower tracks for supporting outgoing trucks, an exteriorintermediate track for supporting incoming trucks, said tracks being mounted one above the other, trucks for said tracks, means actuated by the movement of said cage for automatically Vdelivering trucks from said cage track to one of said p outgoing tracks as the cage track is moved to position in alinement with the outgoing track, and means actuated by return movemeans actuated by the movement of said cagee for automatically delivering trucks from said cage track to one of said outgoing tracks as the cage track is moved to position in alinement with the outgoing track, means actuated by return movement of said cage for automatically delivering trucks from said incoming tracks to the cage track as the cage track is brought into alinement with saidincom- @-5 ing track, and electrical means actuated by ment of said cage for automatically deliver-v by the movement of said trucks into and out of said? cage `for automatically controlling the movement of said cage.

`3. In combination, a shaft, a cage mounted to move upwardly and downwardly in said shaft, a truck track in said cage, exterior upper and lower tracks for supporting outgoing trucks, anl exterior intermediate track for supporting incoming trucks, the last track being supported adjacent to the upper track, the inner end of the incoming track being curved downwardly and inwardly beneath the upper track, trucks for said tracks, means actuated by the movement of said cage for automatically delivering trucks from said cage track to said outgoing tracks as the cage track is moved to position in alinement with the outgoing track, and 'means actuated by return movement of said/cage for automatically delivering trucks from said incoming tracks to the cage track as the cage track is brought into alinement with said incoming track.

4. In combination, a shaft, a cage mounted to move upwardly and downwardly in` said shaft, atruck track in said cage, an exterior trackfor supporting outgoing trucks,

an exterior intermediate track for supporting 9 l incoming trucks, said tracks being supporte adjacent-to each other, the inner end of the incoming track being curved downwardly and inwardly beneath the outgoing track, trucks for said tracks, means actuated by the movement of saidv cage for automatically delivering trucks from said cage track to said outgoing tracks as the cage track is moved to position in alinement with'the outgoing track, means'actuated by return movement of said cage for automatically delivering trucks from said incoming tracks to the cage track as the cage track is brought into alinement with said incoming track, and electrical means actuated by the up Vand down movement `of said cage and by the movement of said trucks into and out of said cage for auto-` maticallycontrolling the movement of said cage. Y

5. In combination, a shaft, a cage mounted Vto move up and down in said shaft, an outgoing track, an incoming track, the outer ends of said tracks being side yby side and substantially at the same level, the inner end of the incoming trackl being below the inner end of the first track, whereby trucks carried by said'cage may be delivered to the outgoing track and other trucks carried by the incoming track delivered tosaid cage when the cage is at position in alinement with said tracks.

6. In combination,V a shaft, an outgoing track, an incoming track, the outer ends of said tracks being side by side and substantially at the same level, the inner endof the incoming track being below the inner end of the first said track whereby trucks carried by said cage may be delivered to one of said tracks, and trucks carried by the other track may be delivered to said cage when the cage Y is opposite the respective tracks.

CHARLES E. coNsTABLE. 

